The Moderator Advantage: Visibility, Influence, and Personal Branding with Nicole Lester Arrindell

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Description

Too often, the role of a panel moderator is perceived as logistics—keeping time and reading questions from a list. But the best moderators know it’s much more than that. Great moderating is strategy. It’s a chance to showcase presence, leadership, and personal brand. Done well, moderation shapes the audience’s experience, amplifies the panelists, and demonstrates your leadership in real time.

With conference season underway, it’s the perfect time to talk about how to elevate when you moderate. My guest, Nicole Lester Arrindell—an accomplished attorney, community leader, and frequent moderator—knows how to turn preparation, presence, and pace into a brand-building advantage.

In this episode of Branding Room Only, Nicole and I break down how moderation itself can become a personal branding tool. We share practical tips for prep calls, audience engagement, and managing Q&A, and introduce the PACE framework—being Prepared, Agile, Conscientious, and Engaged—so you can approach your next panel with confidence and leave a lasting impression.

Chapters

2:19 — Nicole on personal branding, three words that describe her, her favorite Paulo Coelho quote, and the Nas track that fuels her

7:37 — How Nicole’s career transitions connect and build on each other

13:11 — The role fellowships and leadership programs play in professional growth

15:58 — Why a moderator’s approach shapes the success of a panel

24:48 — Strategies to prepare as a moderator and create a better experience for panelists and the audience

34:42 — How moderation highlights your skills and elevates your personal brand

41:35 — Keys to running an effective and balanced panel Q&A

47:10 — Ways to close a panel with strength and make it memorable

49:55 — Nicole’s non-negotiable branding value and her “standing room only” magic

Connect With Nicole Lester Arrindell

Nicole L. Arrindell is Associate General Counsel, Head of State Regulatory and Legislative Affairs at Equitable. She previously served as Chief of Staff to Equitable's Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary. She joined Equitable in December 2020. Before Equitable, Nicole held roles as Associate General Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, Senior Staff Attorney in the Consumer Rights Project at Mobilization for Justice (formerly MFY Legal Services (“MFY”)), and Chief of Staff to former New York State Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh. Prior to law school, she worked in Washington, DC as a Senior Business Development Manager of Public Finance at Fannie Mae and as an Assistant Director and Program Manager at two national nonprofit organizations.

Nicole is a frequent speaker and moderator at conferences and seminars focusing on various aspects of leadership. Her TEDx Talk, “Everyday People Can Be Everyday Leaders,” is available to view on YouTube.

Nicole is the recipient of the 2025 City & State magazine Above and Beyond Women Award; the 2023 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellowship; the 2022 92nd Street Y’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact Women inPower Fellowship; and the 2020 Higher Heights Senior Civic Leadership Fellowship. She was recognized in 2018 by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke as a Shining Star, and in 2016 by City & State magazine as a 40 Under 40 Rising Star in New York City, and she was selected in 2016 by the Council of Urban Professionals ("CUP") as a CUP NY Fellow.

Nicole is committed to service and civic engagement. She is an Adjunct Professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; President of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association; past-Secretary of the New York City Bar Association’s New York City Affairs Committee; and mentor to law students and young professionals. Nicole earned a J.D. from Cleveland State University, a Master of Public Administration degree (with distinction) from American University, and a B.S.

Mentioned In How Panel Moderation Helps You Build Visibility and Influence with Nicole Lester Arrindell

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Illmatic (Full Album) by Nas on YouTube

“I Love Music” by Ahmad Jamal on YouTube

Nicole Lester Arrindell | LinkedIn

“Everyday People Can Be Everyday Leaders” | Nicole Lester Arrindell | TEDxUStreetWomen

Curated Resources from Paula

How to Prepare for a Conference to Maximize Your Personal Brand Impact

Personal Branding Boosters and Bruisers: Attending Conferences

Personal Branding Bruisers: Paula’s Professional Pet Peeves

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Transcript

Paula Edgar: Hi everybody, it's Paula Edgar, and I'm excited to bring you this Branding Room Only rewind episode just in time for conference season. Moderation isn't just about asking questions. It's a strategic skill that helps build visibility and influence. In this conversation with Nicole Lester Arrindell, we team up to share the insider moves for preparation, presence, and pace. Listen in to learn how to manage a panel, engage an audience, and turn the moderator's role into a powerful platform for your brand. Let's go. Welcome to The Branding Room Only Podcast where we share career stories, strategies, and lessons learned on how industry leaders and influencers have built their personal brands. Now, let's get started with the show. Hi, everyone. It's Paula Edgar, the host of Branding Room Only, where I bring on industry leaders and influencers to talk about how they're using their skills, their talents, and their experiences to create and amplify their personal brands, and of course, to talk about all the things they've learned about other people in their personal brands as well. Today, I'm very excited because I have a guest who is not just a guest, she's a friend and also a frequent collaborator. We have with us today, Nicole Lester Arrindell, who is Government Relations Counsel and Chief of Staff to the Chief Legal Officer at Equitable. She's also the President-Elect of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association in New York City. Nicole Lester Arrindell serves as an attorney. She's a trusted strategic advisor, a TEDx speaker, a sought-after moderator and thought partner, and professionally, again, I just told you where she serves, as the Government Relations Counsel and Chief of Staff to the Chief Legal Officer at Equitable, a Fortune 500 financial services company. As a civic and community leader, Nicole serves as President-Elect of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association in New York City. She's also an adjunct law professor, a class parent, and a mentor to young professionals and law students. Nicole, welcome to the Branding Room. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Thank you, Paula. Thank you for having me on your podcast. You know, of course, it's a pleasure to chat with you all the time, but especially on your venture. So congrats again on doing this. I know it was on your bucket list. Paula Edgar: It was. Nicole is a frequent person to tell me what's up next thing on your bucket list. I appreciate that very much. So, Nicole, we are in the Branding Room. Of course, I have to ask you, what does branding mean to you? What is personal branding? Tell me how you define it. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Well, I mean, I'm sitting with you, the person who exudes personal branding, a person who professionally talks to people about personal branding, and then you go out and do a whole podcast on personal branding. So if anything, I mean, I don't know what I could say that's going to be better than how you just exemplify it. But I think by using you as an example, I could say when I think of personal branding, I think of it as an action. It's an intention. You are creating your personal brand. This is an evolving thing. What you're known for and how others view you, it's going to be reflected in your actions, your words, your social media, your friends, even the groups and organizations you associate with. So just like the brands of cars people like, shoes people buy, beverages, handbags, there's a certain feeling that you get when you have those things. There's a certain taste, a certain look. You too, your values, your authenticity, your talents, your weaknesses, they're all visible to people. People are going to walk away feeling a certain way when they're in your presence or when they think about you. So that's what comes to mind for me with personal branding. Paula Edgar: I love that. I love that. I love it. It's action. It's action. It's action. All right. So describe yourself in three words or short phrases. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Three words. I'm a networker. I am a leader. I am action-oriented. I like to get stuff done. Paula Edgar: It's funny because you were saying the words, and I had a word. I was like, "I'm going to say this if she doesn't say this." My word was activator. So you hit it. I didn't have to be like, "Hey." You hit it because the action is definitely something that I associate with you. Okay. What's your favorite quote? Nicole Lester Arrindell: So, people who know me know I love to read leadership development books. I read biographies. I listen to lots and lots of music. So when it comes to quotes, I'm like that girl on that show that had sticky notes all over the place with quotes all over them. That's honestly me. I have journals full of quotes. But one in particular that I love by Paolo Coelho. He's the author of a book called The Alchemist. It was a really great book that came out in the late 80s. "The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion." So when I hear that, I think take action, do something. People sit around, everybody has opinions, but not everybody acts. That's how you're going to change the world. As an attorney, being a person who went to law school, that was what my motivating factor was, "How can I make change? How can I make impact?" So those words are one of many different quotes that I would say is one of my favorites. Paula Edgar: I love that. I also love, shout-out to Gabrielle Union and Being Mary Jane. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Yeah, you got the reference. Paula Edgar: I did. I did indeed. Since she didn't bring it up, well, maybe you'll bring it up in a minute. So we'll see, because I'm going to definitely swing back to something else. What is your hype song, Nicole? Nicole Lester Arrindell: Oh, well, yeah. I know you must be talking about the fact that I love music. I am a music lover. People know this about me. Hype songs, I have many. But one in particular, in fact, one I played before even coming on to your podcast today, The World Is Yours by Nas. Why is this my hype song? Let me explain. There are a lot of reasons for this. One, Nasir Jones, to me, he's one of the most amazing artists in hip hop. He is from my era of hip hop, the time when I was in college. So there's a lot that I think about when I hear Nas. That song is on one of the best hip hop albums of all time, Illmatic. Secondly, that song is affirmational. That chorus has a call and response. "Whose world is this?" The response is, "The world is yours. The world is yours. It's mine, it's mine, it's mine." You could stand in a mirror and say that to yourself. Three, the producer, Pete Rock, another phenomenal artist in the hip-hop game, and he raps on that chorus. Then I'd say the other reason is I love jazz. The song that is sampled in The World is Yours is by Ahmad Jamal. He's a jazz pianist. The song that is sampled is called I Love Music. I'm hyped just talking about the song. I'm one of those people that know the liner notes on songs. I know who produced something. That's a whole other podcast that I'm going to put on and chat about. The rap game. Paula Edgar: Yes, we're going to have to do something in June for Black Music Month because, Nicole, when I think about somebody who loves music and it comes out, it's you. Lyric by lyric. Good, because I was just going to say if you don't give me a hype song that has hip-hop in it, I'm going to have to pull back and give me something else. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Oh, that is one of my hype songs. Paula Edgar: I love that. I love that. Okay, so give the audience a little bit of background about who you are, how you have come to this space in terms of your role, both in work and in leadership, and how you built your brand throughout that time. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Wow. So I had had multiple careers, I would say. I started out working in Washington, D.C. My first job out of college, I was going to be this idealist. I'm going to go to D.C. where policy is made and I'm going to make things happen. "I'm going to change the world." That was my thinking. I spent about 10 years working in Washington, D.C. in various capacities, working in nonprofits, working for a financial services company that focused on affordable housing and making sure people across the country had safe places to live. Then the financial crisis hit and I had to rethink my life. What was my plan? How was I going to go forward? I was working in a financial services company at the time. Everybody knows what happened in 2008, unless you are one of these people that was just born around that time. I decided to go back to school. So at that time, I went to law school, still thinking in the way in which I had worked for 10 years up until that point, working in nonprofits, working on affordable housing. "How can I change the world? What can I do to have impact?" When I got out of law school, it was a tough economy. You had to make some quick decisions on how you were going to make money. Either you had a job and it was deferred, or you had a job and it probably wasn't paying that great, but you needed to have a job. So I started working right away in the state legislature of New York, of all things. That was something I didn't even know was a pathway when I was in law school. No one tells you that there are counsel and chief of staff and policy people in the legislature that have legal backgrounds. No one really told me that in law school, but I figured that out post-law school, worked in that space for a couple of years. Then I said, "I want to represent people. I went to law school, and that is what I want to do." So I stepped away from the policy side of things and worked for a nonprofit legal services organization where I had at some points 100 clients representing low-income New Yorkers and really being a true advocate for them. Learning how to stand up for people in courtrooms, at the statehouse, sometimes lobbying for laws to be changed that impacted my clients, that was where I really started to hone the advocacy part of myself. I will tell you, I have been public speaking since I was four. So that part of me has existed. It had been developed and honed over the years. Professionally, even when I was working in D.C. for 10 years, that was the bulk of what my work was, to speak to people, to really refine that skill of speaking. So I would say that speaking and advocating, when I think about that combination, that is why I am where I am now. I can advocate for my company as Government Relations Counsel because I've advocated for real people who are in tough situations. I've advocated for policy. I've worked with policymakers and legislators. So being Government Relations Counsel at this point in my journey, it really connected. It really connected me back to work I had done earlier in life and things I had done even post-law school. I became chief of staff a little over a year ago to our chief legal officer. That was just how do I bring all of the strategic skills I had, the project management, the agility to work, and to really be a thought partner and a strategic advisor to an executive? Who knew that I would be doing that? I honestly wouldn't have thought that that's where I would land. But I love it. It gives me an opportunity to showcase all of the things that make Nicole who Nicole is, the speaking, being able to think strategically, to manage high-level projects. All of that comes into bear in these two roles that I currently have professionally. It's been fantastic. Paula Edgar: Wow. I mean, so everything you said just resonated, but I don't think even knowing you and understanding just how all of it flowed together, I think that a lot of people do think that careers are linear. If nothing else, I hope that people are getting from the podcast and everyone else's journey is that it is not linear at all. Sometimes your vision and then the visions of the world for you, they are going towards the right direction, but they're taking a lot of different routes. I'm glad that I asked about how it all came together. There's one thing that before we pivot and we have a specific pivot we're going to do that I do want to ask you about, because I do think for me, when I think about your brand and I want the audience to really hear about your thoughts about this, it is that you are also the epitome of growth mindset and consistent learning. You've done a lot of different fellowships and opportunities to learn and professionally develop. I want you to talk a little bit about why that's important for you. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Yeah, so fellowships, those are definitely something I highly recommend to mentees, the students I teach, to my peers. Fellowships give you that opportunity, especially if you're in a place where that organization is not necessarily financially supportive of professional development. Because many times I've been in, especially in government and nonprofits, the budget is not what it is. So I had to seek outside places to develop myself as far as leadership skills, budgeting, management, all sorts of things. I've done that through fellowships. By that, I mean these are usually leadership development programs that are for a specific amount of time. They usually are things you have to apply for. They're competitive in nature. They will bring together a cohort of individuals for that particular time period to learn from each other, to grow together. I have done that on several occasions. I think my friends know that I've said at least four that I can definitely think of. There might be more. I think I might actually be lowballing myself on how many of these I've obtained. But they've been super helpful for that reason of getting me connected to people who weren't just in my field, learning from them and their failures, their wins, really understanding different industries. All of that makes you more well-rounded, able to approach problems in a different way, because perhaps you learned about something during a case study in your fellowship program. So those have been super essential for me to build myself up, build my skills, to build my brand in a way where now I'm known across multiple industries, and to also learn about other roles and opportunities that I wouldn't have known about prior to being in those types of settings. So I think those are definitely a great tool to help in building skills, building your brand, expanding your network more broadly outside of the circle of people that you tend to connect with because of your industry. Paula Edgar: Yeah, no, that's probably the perfect definition of why fellowships and also seeking outside professional development in general is important. So I'm glad I took the time to pivot in that space because... Nicole Lester Arrindell: Because you know I've done a lot of fellowships? Paula Edgar: Because I know that you are a fellowship gal. You love your fellowship. Okay, so when we were talking about, I knew that when I started the podcast that I wanted Nicole to be on there, and I was trying to figure out what was going to be the right time, the right topic, and it just came to us several times. We were like, "We have to talk about this." The topic that we really want to delve into right now is the impact of good moderation on your brand and the challenges on your brand when moderation is not done at its best, let's put it that way. The reason why I knew Nicole was the right person is that I tell people all the time, "I try not to judge people in a way that feels judgy." I like to think about folks in a way where I'm like, I want to help and give feedback in that way to help. But I do have a very high standard when it comes to being on the audience side, experiencing people who are moderating. Also, when I'm on a panel and I'm being moderated. My favorite position is to be in the moderator role because I care so much and so deeply about the experience of the audience. Nicole's probably the only other person that I feel is similar to me in terms of how we relate to the preparation and all of those things. So Nicole is going to run down some things, and we're just going to talk about moderating. So, in your opinion, Nicole, how does a moderator's approach directly impact the effectiveness of a panel? Nicole Lester Arrindell: Wow. How? It really does. I think that that's the role that when there's a panel, people don't necessarily think the most about, but they really should. In my opinion, the moderator sets the PACE. By pace, I am spelling it out because I am known to give an acronym, P-A-C-E. That is the moderator must be prepared. That moderator needs to be agile. That moderator needs to be conscientious and engaged. You set the pace. Those questions through prep calls, anything that you could have done beforehand to make sure everybody on that panel is prepared to deliver, that's on you as the moderator to help facilitate that. You also have to be prepared that anything can happen. Technology issues, all sorts of stuff. You have to be prepared to be able to move around. That brings me to agile, the A. Even if you are prepared, you still have to stay ready. Technology fails. Missing panelists. Rogue panelists. Why exactly did we invite this panelist? Too much time. Too little time. You have to stay flexible as a moderator. The best ones who do that, you see that they know how to shift gears in an instant. Conscientious. I need a moderator to be, and as a moderator, I am. I pay attention to the audience, their engagement, the questions that might have been posed. I'm conscientious of the panelists. "Have they all spoken?" you should ask yourself. Has someone spoken too much? Being conscientious of what is happening, and engaged. I tell you, rule number one for me is listen. Moderators who do not listen to what is being said by the panelists are missing out on all sorts of things. For instance, let's say the panelist has just dropped a gem, but you have a list of questions you prepared in advance. Do you go to the next question after this gem has been dropped? Or should you take a moment there to listen to what was said to either follow up with another question on that to bring out more of that? Should you do a quick recap so the audience, if they didn't catch it, can catch this? Doing that recap. Now, there are times, and I will give caveats. We're talking about panels where maybe you have a lot of authority as a moderator. Maybe you're getting to make questions up and you know who the panelists are. There are those times, Paula, where you're moderating a panel of government officials. They can only say what was on their script. Even with that, though, I think you can still, as the moderator, again, setting the pace, being engaged, you can still take their canned responses and recap them or restate them in a way back to the audience that, again, brings that audience in. You are taking the audience on a ride as a moderator. Guess what? You're setting the pace. The pace of this ride depends on how you, as a moderator, facilitate that. Does that make sense? Though that's what my thoughts are about that. Paula Edgar: That 100% made sense. Because, speaking of preparation, I should have known that you were going to have an acronym because we always do this. So while you were talking, I was like, "I'm going to use PACE and do it too." Nicole Lester Arrindell: That's right. Paula Edgar: Here's what I got. Nicole Lester Arrindell: It's all good. When you think about me, I'm telling you, that is like what do I do? I'm going to bring an acronym. I'm going to have a quote. I'm going to bring myself. That's me, who I am authentically. Years of practice doing that in other settings. Paula Edgar: I do think it's one of the things that connects us in terms of it. Because I believe adult learners need, it's here, and they need something to be able to connect back to. Having acronyms is really helpful in that way. So preparation is 100% in my mind. When you think about the role of the moderator, they need to be prepared for all the things you just mentioned. So preparation is my P as well. A is going to be Amplify and to be Accountable. So amplify, meaning amplify what the subject matter is, like you mentioned, making sure you're making connections between what folks are saying, but to be accountable to the audience in that you're keeping timing. You are making sure all the panelists get to speak, that you are thinking about their experience in the way that they come out of it, having learned, having felt like they haven't wasted their time, et cetera. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Absolutely. Yes. Paula Edgar: C is to Communicate and also Commit. So obviously communication is important, but I will say this because when I thought to myself about what I see moderators not doing well is sometimes they over communicate, right? So when I am going to be a moderator and a panelist, I say it up front. I go, I'm a modelist, a panelator, connect them. But if you are only, in fact, a moderator, then you must only, in fact, be a moderator. That's not saying that you can't recap things like you mentioned. I think that's important. But if you're like, "And also, blah-blah-blah," that takes away from the experience of the panelist as well as the audience, right? Because they either have to expect that you're going to be additive in that way or not. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Right. You have to think about what the conference organizer or the meeting organizer who invited you, what are the outcomes and objectives that they have set? You need to meet those too. So you're worried about that audience, but you also should be thinking about what is the purpose of this particular panel session? What does it mean for the conference or meeting organizer? Because you want to get invited back. Paula Edgar: That part. Nicole Lester Arrindell: You got a good thing. You got a good job. You want to be invited back. You want to be invited back to other things. You also have to think about who invited you to this dance. What is it that they're seeking to do? Paula Edgar: And your brand, right? Pulling this all through the branding room. Right? In that if you don't do it well, it does impact your brand. When you do do it well, it amplifies and engages your brand, which takes me back to my E, PACE, which is to Elevate and Express. So the elevating again is making sure the people are, the content is elevated, but the expression of not just the subject matter, but who they are, the authenticity in the space in order to give the experience one that is elevated. So I can't wait to see. Nicole Lester Arrindell: I love that. I love that we can do a joint acronym. Paula Edgar: I can see the graphics right now. I can't wait. Nicole Lester Arrindell: But it's real though. So for the audience that's listening, I mean, you're setting that pace. That's why I set it in that way. But then, yes, how we call it. I have broken this down. Those are the essential elements to being a really effective moderator. Paula Edgar: I love it. So tell me, as a moderator, I know that you put an extensive time into preparing, right? Both of us use that as our P for pace because I think it is key to everything because it helps you to be prepared, right? What's your preparation strategy? What are some of the advice that you can give to folks in terms of preparing for being a moderator? Nicole Lester Arrindell: Yes, I think one thing that is important might be overlooked because sometimes people are so excited to have been invited to be a moderator that they're just focused on that panel and moderating. You need to understand the purpose of the event and that panel, really understand, if it's a conference, what is this entity about? What are their goals, their mission? What do they do? How does this conference normally operate? You should know about the organization that's hosting it. Who do they serve? Who's the audience? Who's going to be in that audience? Then after you understand that, that's when I start to think about, okay, what is this conference panel description? Hopefully, you're not reading that right before the event. [inaudible] panel description. Understand the footprints, the meeting organizer's objectives, right? That's what that description should tell you. The outcomes that we expect as an audience member are going to be in that. Who is this panel session for? Why? I mean, these are all of the questions I go through before I even get to, all right, let me prep the people who are going to speak. I need to be prepared. The P in that PACE stands for both the moderator and the panelist. Then I would tell you I do a little bit, if I haven't selected the panelists myself, I do a little bit more diligence around my panelists. I'm going to learn about them beyond the bio. You can keep that in your, in some quotes, to learn about your panelists beyond the bio. That means you need to use the search engines, the social media account that tells people about their professional things. Can we mention Google, LinkedIn? I don't want to be branding other people's brands out here, but using Google and LinkedIn to figure out other things. Why do I do this? Because even when I'm in that prep call with the panelists or if I'm on the panel, I like to tie in other pieces of people. So yes, you're sitting here, panelists, as an expert on whatever we're here to talk about, but you are also a person who is an expert on this or you have experience doing why, or maybe I figured out. I actually moderated a panel recently, Paula, where three out of the four panelists, we all went to Big Ten universities. So there was this commonality amongst us, like, oh, Michigan played Illinois. I was able to bring some of that into the banter, really hone and develop the relationship with the panelists, right? Before we even got to being on stage together. Paula Edgar: It loosens them up. It loosens them up, too. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Exactly. That research is like, that intel is important. So then I think pre-panel prep calls are important if you can have them happen. I say if, because sometimes you're dealing with very, very busy people. Well, you may have to end up just having a quick one-on-one call to let them know what maybe the whole group talked about and they missed the call. You have to figure that out. But have some touch point, whether it's a very detailed email communication to the panelists or a call. If you have a call, perhaps you can ask everyone if it's okay to record that call and send someone the Zoom recording so that they can understand what the flow should feel and look like. Sometimes you can use that prep call to determine speaking order. Hey, Paula, I want you to address this question first. You can use that prep call to figure out that, you know what, Jordan over there is not comfortable answering this particular question. So let's even direct it towards him or her. The other thing, and I'm going to say, because I know you do bruisers and all the pet peeves. Please learn how to pronounce the names of the panelists on the prep call. That is your time to get that right, to get the phonetics of it. Do not be the moderator who's on stage introducing panelists and jacking up their names. I mean, that's the only way I could say that. Like, don't do that. Paula Edgar: Then saying, "I knew I was going to mess it up." Nicole Lester Arrindell: That's not cute. No one wants that. Paula Edgar: It is so frustrating because I'm like, "If you knew you were going to mess it up, then you should have figured this out in advance." Names are so important. A lot of times, especially if you're not at a panel with a dais, you're saying this person is this person. This person is this person and helps people to go back and remember who said what if there was not any designation of their names on a dais or on a screen. And so I think it is key. To say those names, you know me, I get about this clearly, slowly. When you're introducing yourself as a panelist, you say your name and then you say your name and your last name, like this, Paula, Paula Edgar. It's really, really important that people know your name so they can find you. What else? Anything else in the preparation before I give my supplemental? Nicole Lester Arrindell: I think the other thing, just going back to that pre-panel communication, in that message, I include the date, the time, the location. It should be obvious because they know they were asked to be a panelist, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes the people who received that are the assistants of these individuals and not them directly. The timing, I would put in there any agreed-upon norms or rules because I do have those as a moderator. I am the intelligent interrupter and I will let them know that. So if you were trying to be rogue, I will intelligently and swiftly move you back on course. So I will let them know of those norms and rules. Don't overspeak your panelists, things like that. Just a few rules of the road. Then any notes about who will be the person to take the lead on a particular question. Sometimes that's helpful for people to just understand, get this, the pace of what we plan to do on the panel. Paula Edgar: I'd love to hear yours. Yes, yes. So, and because you have been one of my panelists, you know this. So I have Paula's rules, my Paula's panelist rules that I circulate that includes a lot of what Nicole just mentioned. But essentially, and if any of you are interested in this, I'm happy to send you a redacted draft of this. So you can send me an email at info@paulaedgar.com, and I'm all happy to send this to you because I'm trying to change the world one panel, one moderator at a time. But essentially the rules are don't overspeak, like you mentioned, that you should be always keeping your eye on the moderator, me as the moderator, so that you can know that if I'm giving you some cue, and I sometimes will say that the cue might be me tugging on my ear or messing with my necklace, to let you know it's time to either slow down or move on or whatever the thing is. I include in that document all of the bios for everybody who is speaking because it's important, to your point, that everybody knows each other. While I will have, like you, done a lot of research in advance, they usually haven't found out about themselves. I think it's a missed opportunity for relationship building, right? You only have the time on the panel and nothing else. But if you give a panel their bios in advance, they sometimes will take the opportunity to see who else is on there and find some of those symmetries without you having to weave it for them. I think that's also very nice. It helps me to encourage them to relationship build. I think that is always what I want, for us to make deep relationships, not just light touches, to really get to know each other. In addition to that, I have the timing. I also have who starts when, who starts off on each question. During my conversations, I always say, "You don't have to answer every question unless I have designated that you are going to answer every question. So you know in advance, the ones you're expected to, and the ones you're expected to lead on." Depending on, to your point, what the want of the organizer is, I will either say this is a piggyback or non-piggyback conversation. So because you're time-bound most of the time, you want to not use your opportunity to speak as a piggyback moment. You want to say something new, innovative, and additive to the conversation versus being like, "Just like Nicole just said, I want to piggyback on that. I'm like, "Well, if Nicole just said it, why are you saying it? Nicole said it perfectly well. There's no need for you to say it again." So I have rules like no piggybacking. I talk about that we will have a picture either before or after the panel because I believe everything should be documented. I let folks know if there is a recording or if there's a need for a release or not. Just all those norms and the things that the organizer would like and the things that I would like as well and potential questions. This is really important. I never want people to feel unprepared because while I might be able to pivot and ask questions with you, I know that I can just ask you something and you'll be fine. But most people tend to be very structured, and we both work with a lot of lawyers. They want to know and anticipate what's going to happen in advance. That's really important to give them a little bit of safety, even if you don't use all of the questions, to say, "Here's where it might go." Then, and I think this is really important for prep and that prep call that you might have with the panelists, is to know what their bullet points are. So even if they don't know what their bullet points are at that point, I say to them, "For the questions that you lead on, you should at least have three different bullet points about that question." So that either like we're doing, you're making an acronym, or you're one, two, three, and you're ABCing because people learn that way. Also, to use stories to amplify their points. So there's a lot more in there, but all of those- Nicole Lester Arrindell: I know. We got to do the part two or actually like a checklist. Just to tie back to personal branding too. I love moderating and facilitating conversations because I really do think it amplifies and puts your skill on display. So if you're thinking about a strategy internally in your organization, let's say they need to have someone moderate a panel of the board members or executives, or maybe one of your employee resource groups wants to facilitate a panel session. They want to have someone have a panel session and they need a moderator. Raise your hand to do it. Why? Internally, it has helped me out tremendously. I know that. Being able to put my skills on display. You're showcasing leadership. You're showcasing your ability to listen. The time management that Paula and I have both talked about, like being able to manage that time. You're showcasing your knowledge, your expertise in how you ask questions, how you follow up on the answers you've heard. It showcases your ability to synthesize information. It also showcases your ability to meet the objectives of that organizer, right? Then you get to showcase your style. You know, organizations all around are always talking about be your authentic self. Well, we're not showing up as our whole authentic self. We're showing up authentically, but there might be a few pieces missing. But your style of moderating and your style that you bring to demonstrating those skills I just laid out, that's what's going to differentiate you. That's your brand. That's the stuff that's going to be like, "You know what? You were so great when you moderated that panel. Can you come do this one? Can you emcee this off-site meeting that we're doing for our leaders?" That's how I've elevated my personal brand internally in not only the organization where I work now, but in others I've worked in. By showcasing that ability to be able to facilitate conversations, showing up as my authentic self. So I'm going to give you a tangible takeaway, because that's what I say. You're going to leave this with something tangible. I'm going to showcase who I am with the quotes, with the music reference, with the sports reference. I'm showcasing who I am while also amplifying the panelists or that speaker if it's a fireside chat. Paula Edgar: Yes, I like to infuse a Beyonce reference in a lot of what I do. So it's true you can show the staple piece of who you are within that. But I want to go back to something you said. You talked about using it to amplify and to showcase your skill set and your brand and your authentic self internally. But this is something, if you don't have the opportunity internally, that you can take as a skill or an opportunity externally, and it's why I love bar associations and civic organizations and professional organizations so much because they are usually, most of the time, they are run by their participants, their members. They come up with the ideas and then they bring the thing. So if you have an idea for a panel, you can bring together the panelists. You can navigate the conversation, all of those things, in setting a goal as to what you want and then bringing those pieces together using moderation as the vehicle through a bar association or another organization. It is key. If you're not getting the skill development internally, you can do it externally and then spot it and bring it back internally too. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Yes. I'm glad you mentioned the external because, of course, I do them externally for bar associations and other groups. But I wanted to be sure to mention the internal piece because I feel like that is a lost opportunity for people. Paula Edgar: Yes, I agree. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Really thinking about ways strategically, internally, the place where you're getting that paycheck, like how can you showcase yourself in a different way outside of whatever job you've been hired to do? That showcases your personal brand in a very different way. Paula Edgar: True, and it's truly strategic self-promotion. Because while it's other people who you are amplifying, they have no option but to see you in your light. Even if you, and I'll say this because I know that you all can tell if you're watching or just hearing us, we love this. We're talking about it because we enjoy, but there are some people who don't necessarily enjoy it or don't feel like it comes to them naturally. But you can still do it and do it well. I don't think you have to put on a show, but you do have to take into consideration things we talked about. Preparation, thinking about the audience experience, utilizing and weaving in those things. You can do that whether or not you identify as someone who is an extrovert, or who even loves these things, or even an introverted extrovert. You can still do this really, really well, and it takes practice. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Practice, yes. Another sports reference. I love Allen Iverson. He said, "We're talking about practice? Yes, we are talking about practice, because that is actually how you become better at this." Volunteering to do more of them is how you become better. You mentioned you don't have to put on a show. You're right. As a moderator, it's not about you, and you're not the show. And you are the person who is there to bring that audience in on that ride, though. So you have to figure out how to showcase who you are, highlight and amplify those panelists, but also remembering again, a conscientiousness of the audience. What do they want to get out of this? It's really your job to make sure those panelists deliver on that. Paula Edgar: You're not the circus, but you're the ringmaster. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Right. Paula Edgar: Quote that. Anyway. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Oh my God. Quotables. I love it. That's like, that's part of what I do too. I'm like, if it's not me, I'm going to make sure I have a quotable that people can walk away with. Whether it's my acronym, whether it's some line of a song, or a sports reference, or something that someone on that panel has said. That is really, again, my love of music, particularly hip hop. There was a magazine I was an avid subscriber of back in the 90s, early 2000s, called The Source. They had a section called Hip Hop Quotable. Artists would strive to make sure their lyrics could be listed there. That was meaningful. So similar to that, I strive to make sure the panelists have those quotables. Something that they have said can resonate with people when they walk away. Each particular panelist has said something that has been amplified in some way, where people are like, "Wow, that's a quotable thing that I can really associate with that particular panelist." I can weave hip hop into all stuff. Paula Edgar: Well, let me put a little bit of a remix on this. See what I did there? I want to talk about when you have a Q&A, when you are navigating the Q&A. This is where I really find that good moderators shine. Because number one, when you're doing a Q&A and it's not questions you're prepared for, you have to be prepared for anything, because you don't know what's going to happen. You have to protect your panelists and also give them the opportunity to shine. I think it's very much a balancing act. So do you have a strategy that you use in terms of managing your Q&A? Nicole Lester Arrindell: If allowed, I will, as a moderator, try to set ground rules or at least establish norms up front with the audience. So I will clarify how questions will be taken, whether people can raise their actual hand, if we're doing it virtually, raise your virtual hand, use the conference app if that's what the conference has, write down your question on a note card, step to the microphone. Give the audience the rules of the road on it. I also let them know when questions will be taken. If we're going to do questions at the end, if we're open to questions throughout, when there's a break in the conversation. I want to be sure that everybody knows up front what that's about, if I'm given the space to do that. Then once it is time for questions, I encourage concise questions. I encourage questions, things that end with a question mark. So this is not the time to make statements, comments about things. I do that respectfully, I should say, in a respectful tone, reminding the audience that we have a limited amount of time. We want to be respectful of the next panel that's coming up or respectful of our panelists' time. We have time for X number of questions, or we only have a few minutes left. That framing can allow somebody who might have stepped to that mic ready to talk about back when they were five and how this resonates with their thoughts about being a child, or something with nothing to do with what you're up there talking about. Sometimes, using those framing techniques can steer that person who intends to get up there and make a political statement or say something that has nothing to do with asking the actual question. You have to be, as a moderator, respectful, but also redirect people who are up there just asking questions that have nothing to do with what's happening. You really do have to figure out your technique on how you do that. Because I'm a person who infuses a little bit of humor, and that's really a big part of my personality. I infuse a little bit of humor even when I'm in work settings or even when I was in the courtroom as a litigator. There's a way you can do it. So I might use a little bit of humor to steer that person and redirect them away. Like, "This isn't the time to give your stump speech. This is the time to ask a question about such and such." You just really have to figure out the way to do that. But those are some of the things that come quickly to mind, because there's always someone who plans to just make comments and statements. Right now we want to take questions. Paula Edgar: Yes. For those of you who are frequent listeners or who just listened to that one episode, I did something on conference branding, Branding Bruisers and Boosters. I took my time with the Bruiser being, it's a convert Q&A, and you decide that you were ready to do your soap opera soliloquy on my time. I am not a fan of it from either the space of being in the moderator role where it's frustrating because I'm trying to make sure I get questions and make sure it's even more additive for the audience, or from being in the audience and having you take over my time and the energy that I would want to get from the panelists because you are making a statement. So I will just repeat one more time. When you get on that microphone, you need to have your question. I'm a big fan of write your question down, so that way the wind doesn't blow you in another direction. You know exactly what you're going to ask. That being said, you should use the opportunity at the mic to say who you are. You should say, I am, what have you. I don't think you've got to go into your whole bio, but it's a grand opportunity to ask a question as well. You don't want to lose that. But it hurts more than it helps when you make a statement rather than ask a question. To your point about being able to navigate it in a way that is respectful, I don't know, what did you call it? I wrote it down and I flipped the page. You said that you're—oh, my goodness. Nicole Lester Arrindell: An intelligent interrupter? Paula Edgar: Intelligent interrupter. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Yes, ma'am. Paula Edgar: I love that. I'm going to definitely borrow that with attribution. I always say the use of the word thank you can be a pillow or it could be a knife. But where I'm like, "Thank you so much," or I'm like, "Okay, thank you. But thanks for your question. Moving on. Thank you so much." It's still polite. I'm still saying thank you. I'm not telling you to get the hell off of the stage. But the point is, people's self-awareness tends to sometimes fly out of the room when people are either on the panel and talking too much, or on the Q&A and trying to make a comment. Nicole Lester Arrindell: We've all seen the people from the audience who are like, "I should have been asked to be on the panel, so right now I'm going to give you my whole—That's how I would have answered those questions Nicole asked them." It's like, this is not your time. Paula Edgar: I think that we did a pretty good job of weaving a lot of the things that we both wanted to talk about into this. But I want to end this part of the conversation with how you end this part of the conversation. So what are some of your ways? You talked about weaving things together. What are your thoughts, how do you maintain your focus throughout the panel while you're moderating in order to effectively and profoundly even conclude a panel? Nicole Lester Arrindell: A lot of times I use synthesis. So I will synthesize key points or insight. I ask each panelist for their final thought, if there's space and room for that. I am definitely a big fan of thanking everyone. Thank the panelists. Thank the audience. I'm going to thank the organizers for inviting me to moderate and for them hosting this topic. Because sometimes it's a sensitive topic, and maybe it's a really great opportunity to recognize someone who was bold enough to have a space to talk about that particular topic. So I'm going to do that. Something that's not as glamorous and memorable is I'm going to remind people about completing the evaluation. Why? Because hopefully, the panel was memorable, and you again want to be invited back, or you want to be invited to do more things. Even if that's not the reason, you want to get the feedback. I'm a big proponent of getting feedback in real time. So I'm going to remind the audience to complete the evaluation through whatever method the conference organizer or meeting organizer has decided that they want to get that feedback. Those are just some of the things I can think of about ending in a way that can be memorable and strong. Again, if I have a quote that can tie everything together, I'm known to do that too. I might start off the panel session that way, but I'm also known to end it in a way that might actually wrap up and put a bow on everything that has been said. Paula Edgar: Yeah, I think that that part is perfect, and I've seen you moderate a few times. What I love is bringing you back to the beginning, the points throughout, and ending with some memorable, whether it's a quote from the actual panel or a quote that you thought about in advance. I think a really great preparation is to think about quotes that you may want to use by just knowing what the topic is. Maybe having three or four to say, I'm going to just pull this one, and whatever way it works for me that day, it's the one I'm going to pull. I think that's a really great thought. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Oh yeah. All those sticky notes, girl. We just go find one. Paula Edgar: Exactly. Pull a sticky note. Just my other additive piece is to also, in addition to asking for final thoughts from the panelists, I like to ask them what resources they might recommend to continue learning that's on the topic. To that end, keeping the same pace and respecting your time, I want to get to two questions that I ask all of my guests in the Branding Room. I know, I'm not even asking, I'm telling you, you're coming back to the Branding Room. But I'm going to ask you these two things, which is one is stand by your brand. Stand by your brand. What is something about your brand that is authentic that you will never compromise on? Nicole Lester Arrindell: As a moderator or? Paula Edgar: How ever you want to answer. Nicole Lester Arrindell: I will not compromise on being able to bring the authenticity that is Nicole to the workplace, whether that's a boardroom, a courtroom, to the volunteer capacities in which I serve, to my leadership. At this point in my life, as somebody who's crossed 40 and is looking at the other half-century of my life fast approaching, I just don't think I'm willing to compromise on that anymore. There are parts of me that I'm like, "This is who I am. This is what I bring to the table. I'm not willing to compromise on that, being able to showcase who I am in all of the spaces in which I have to dwell." Paula Edgar: Speaking of showcasing who you are, Branding Room Only is a twist on Standing Room Only. So what would be something that would get people in a room where they'd only be standing room only with you on the stage to either experience or hear you do? Nicole Lester Arrindell: Well, I am a person who gave a TEDx talk. So I have experienced people coming in the room specifically to see me and four other speakers. But I would say that in a panel moderation setting, particularly, people know that I'm going to give you a quote, a stat, a compelling statement, or fact. I'm going to use a memorable acronym or have some analogy that really wraps up what we're talking about. I will use humor tastefully, if appropriate. I am going to use a music or sports reference, again, if appropriate. I think that those things, when they're used sparingly, not overdone, they're used in a way that connects the objective of the panel session to what the organizers want and what I've been invited to moderate about. I think that's what people look for me for. They're like, "She is going to be able to meet our objectives. She is going to bring out of the panelists what we want. The audience is going to receive it. They're going to be engaged. She's going to be funny and engaging somehow, even with dry topics, because I've done it. Dry topics that definitely don't seem interesting. I can make that sound more interesting just in some of the ways I talked about earlier, figuring out how to rephrase things or infuse certain statements, quotes, or humor as appropriate throughout that conversation." So I think that's what people look for. I'm going to give a good talk if I'm asked to talk. I'm going to moderate something in a way where people are like, "Wow, she wasn't the expert, but she really made me want to listen to the experts." Paula Edgar: I love that. I will just say, because as I mentioned at the beginning of this, most of my conversations, I'm focusing just on my guests. But for this, because we're so passionate about it, I will answer this one question at the same time. For me, it is they will know that they can trust me. It's because of how much preparation I put into it and how much care I'm putting into their experience. Because I truly do. Probably much more than I need to. But it's how my brand amplifies. I want them to go away from it having learned and feeling as if we have made a connection. Even if it's 5,000 or five people in the room. That is my Branding Room Only, Standing Room Only moment. Nicole, how can my listeners and my viewers stay in touch with you? Nicole Lester Arrindell: Connect with me on LinkedIn, but use proper etiquette. So send a note that says, "I heard you on Branding Room Only or saw you on Branding Room Only. Would love to connect." At least I can know how you might have found me, and I don't delete your request. But connect with me on LinkedIn, and it's NicoleLesterArrindell, all one word for my LinkedIn profile. But that's a great way to connect. I've met people through that medium. Paula Edgar: Fantastic. We will be sharing a link to your LinkedIn and also sharing a link to your TEDx on our show notes. Nicole, thank you so much for being and joining me in this lively conversation in the Branding Room. I definitely invite you to come back again to spend some time. Bye, everyone. Nicole Lester Arrindell: Bye. Paula Edgar: That wraps up this Branding Room Only Rewind. I wanted you to walk away with tools you can use right now. Prep like it matters, bring presence to the stage, and manage pace so every voice is heard. Do that and you won't just moderate well. You'll strengthen your brand and your reputation as a leader. Thanks for listening. If you found this helpful, share it with someone who wants to learn how to elevate when they moderate or present. Do me a favor, leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/branding. Bye, y'all.